


Practicing

by whoovestrings



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: High School AU, M/M, Ryan's a theatre nerd, Shakespeare is quoted to an almost ridiculous extent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-18
Updated: 2016-09-22
Packaged: 2018-08-15 18:49:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8068717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whoovestrings/pseuds/whoovestrings
Summary: "Things you said that I wasn't meant to hear"
a request from barbdunks on tumblr





	1. Chapter 1

Rolling his eyes and cursing his English teacher under his breath, Michael realised that the English room he had been told would be "empty and perfect for studying!" Wasn't empty in the slightest. There was definitely voices coming from there. Multiple voices. He was about to leave to find somewhere else to catch up on homework when he realised that he knew the voices from inside the classroom, and he recognised what they were saying.

"O that she knew she were!"

Michael smiled at that. It was unmistakably Ryan revising for the English exam in a few days. He liked to make the excuse that when he said the lines aloud, it helped him remember them better, and it helped whoever was with him. 

"She speaks, yet she says nothing. What of that?"

Everyone else just knew he was hoping the next school production was something Shakespeare.

"Her eye discourses, I will not answer it."

Michael slowly opened the door and saw that Ryan was standing with his back to him, and Gavin was sitting on a table with a copy of the script in his hands. Michael decided that Ryan needed all the encouragement he could get, and stayed there, casually leaning against the doorframe.

"I am too bold, 'it's not to me he speaks."

Wait a second. That wasn't the line...

"Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven, having some business, do entreat his eyes."

Yeah, that most definitely is not how it goes. Gavin seemed to have noticed too, because he raised a hand and Ryan stopped mid line.

"Did I get something wrong?" He asked, and Gavin shook his head.

"99% of it is absolutely perfect. Just watch out for pronouns. Romeo's talking about Juliet, not Jones."

Michael took a confused step back, what was Gavin talking about? Ryan didn't even know Michael was here, why would Ryan be getting confused?

"Was I really?" Ryan asked, and Michael could see him flush red when Gavin nodded solemnly, "this isn't helping my case when I say he's not on my mind all the time, is it?"

"See how he leans his cheek upon his hand," Gavin read, noticeably more flat and monotone than Ryan, "oh that you were a glove upon that hand-"

"That I may touch that cheek..." Ryan finished.

"Ay me," Michael said, from the door, causing Ryan to whirl around and stare at Michael with wide eyes. There was a stunned moment of silence before Ryan ran out of the classroom, pushing Michael aside as he did so.

Gavin, who had been, until then, smiling at the situation, was looking out the door with an expression of slight guilt.

"I just- I knew you felt- and I knew Ryan- and I knew you both- and," Gavin tried to hurriedly explain himself, "but Ryan doesn't know you like him. I'm- just go after him for pity's sake!"

Michael nodded hurriedly and tried to guess where Ryan had gone off to, walking down the corridor with Gavin in tow.


	2. Chapter 2

Michael strode determinedly down the hall, he was going to find Ryan, and when he did, he was going to be as smooth as fuck and ask him out in a way that would be cool and suave and Gavin would be impressed.

But how? He didn't even know where Ryan was, and when he realised this, he stopped dead, causing Gavin to bump into him.

"Where would he be?" Michael asked, and Gavin shrugged.

"He might be outside," Gavin said after some thought, "there's a place by the art building where he sometimes goes out to practice. He's probably trying to be alone there."

"Well, let's try there," Michael said, heading towards the stairs, "and if he's not there?"

"Plan B. We wait until tomorrow," Gavin admitted, "I don't actually know where he'd be if not there."

As they walked down, Michael noticed that Gavin still had the script of the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet. He had to admit, the scene was pretty useful for a lot of potential exam questions, but it would be useful for another reason right now.

Michael took the script from Gavin and started reading. Ryan had been reading Romeo's part, so it was only fitting that Michael be Juliet. He scanned for good lines, before realising that the script for this act was about 5 pages long. _How fucking unnecessary,_ Michael thought to himself, _all you need is quotes, this most useless revision technique..._. The lines on the first page would do though, so he didn't bother looking through the rest.

He read the lines over and over and over, until he was sure that he wouldn't mess up, or , if he did, it would be minor. By this time, they'd gotten to just outside the art building, and Gavin was pointing to a path that lead behind the building. Michael looked around and saw a nice flower, _not a rose but it'll do_ , and decided that that would probably make the performance better.

They crept around the art building until they could see Ryan, thankfully where they'd hoped he'd be, and hid behind a wall. Michael put on his best "trying-to-not-read-from-a-script" voice, and started to recite the lines.

"O, Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?"

He still had the script in front of him, but knew he wouldn't be able to keep that up the whole time.

"Deny thy father and refuse thy name, or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a capulet."

He put the script down, and walked around the corner to greet a slightly confused Ryan. He waited a beat for his reply, but when he realised it wasn't coming, soldiered on with the rest.

"Tis but thy name which is my enemy. Thou art thyself, though not a Montague."

He was trying his best to come off as genuine. Michael needed to make sure Ryan knew he wasn't making fun, or this all would be ruined. He smiled in what he hoped was a sweet manner, and was making a, if he had to admit to himself, a rather convincing Juliet.

"What is Montague? It is no foot, nor hand, nor arm, nor face," he paused for a suggestive eyebrow wiggle "nor _any other part belonging to a man_. O be some other name!"

He took out the flower that he had, until then, been hiding behind his back. He now noticed that it was the least rose-like a flower could get, but he needed something.

"What's in a name? That what we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

He had to physically hold himself back from completing the Team Rocket motto, but held out the flower for Ryan to take, a hopeful smile on his face, and leaning forwards so much he was almost bowing.

"Are you... making fun of me?" Ryan asked cautiously, not taking the flower in case that would make him seem like even more of a fool.

Michael looked crushed. He stepped back, shoulders slumped and face fallen. He took the flower back and tried to think up a response.

"I thought I did really well..." Michael mumbled, "I thought I'd impress you."

Ryan walked forwards, gently taking the flower that Michael was holding, then thought better of it, and just took Michael's hand instead.

"I thought you did great," Ryan smiled, "I just didn't think you'd..."

"Feel the same?" Michael said, feeling his face flush at a the contact. He stood up on his tip toes so that he might have some chance of being the same height as Ryan.

"I'm sure there's something about "blushing pilgrims" at this part" Ryan started, "but I think-"

"Oh just shut up and kiss me, nerd," Michael said, pulling Ryan down by the collar and kissing him slowly.

Michael felt Ryan relax into the kiss, and relished in the sigh against his lips. His hands moved away from Ryan's collar and instead wrapped around his waist. They stayed like that for a few seconds before Michael pulled away, looking up at Ryan contentedly.

"You kiss by the book," Ryan chuckled, pressing another kiss to Michael's forehead.

"Oh shush you," Michael grinned. He could have stayed like that for a long time if not for clapping from behind them.

"Bravo, bravo!" Gavin said, "great performance, now get a room."

Michael stuck his tongue out at Gavin, but there was no malice to it. There was a short silence, before Michael turned back to Ryan.

"No but really, why do you feel the need to memorise the entire scene? It's unnecessary."

"Well, I'm not saying I hoped this would happen." Ryan grinned sheepishly "but the thought did cross my mind once or twice."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Endings suck, the fact I'm writing this at midnight sucks, I hate this.
> 
> Yes I did have a copy of Romeo and Juliet in front of me when I wrote this, this is technically counted as revision for my English exams. Technically.


End file.
